Box or chest for tools



June 16,1942;

H.,L. LEVENSTEN Box 0R CHEST FoRTooLs Filed Feb. 11. 1941 Patented June 16, 1942 UNITED.; STATES:

enr-ENT; oFN

Thiswinventiongrelates yto boXes,.-f. cabinetschestsr or -;the;like particularly; to tool chests.; A

Toolchests Asuch as Yare shown;,for instancaein my .Patent No.; 2,215,8"8 1,. issued; September i 24 Inthedreivresse- Figure 1 is @perspective lview of a. box. or chest emleedyrls-r thefnresent; invention;

liig'urezI is a transverse `sectional view through 1940,. generallygconsist. of a .boxflike structure.;V 5 59116; Chest 0f Fgylllfl;

havingra lower drawer section and an upper 4trag/ section. The upperL section .is adapted. to be; closedJoy;` a hinged covere .the A,usual l,type ;of ;re.

leasable. snap. :f astenersefeand/ or lock.; being :prom

Figure v3 is yan enlarged fraglnentary;sectional View illustratingithe Y plunger locking portion or the; ehest of yFigure Y1; and

Fguresl is an explodedunassembledView; of

vided;forgrnaintainingzthe.cover .closed Alli of 'lOi'lhCi locking; plunger. v

the.,drawersmareheld,closed. loy. ,a singlenfront panel whichis :moi/able; into a positiornin:1'ont;.;. of Athe;.,dr aw,ers. This panel; is held in place bylv onenor.; more:- '.Splng controlle.d plunger A pins position', t permitting. .moyement;z of the, panel to; its V,closed vpositionpandgjshenA Vthe plunger 01x.; plungers ,can..be depressedetoe'enter. correspondsing holesin .the panel.-z.Each. .plungernis deed, r pressed; ,upon closure of ;the. ,tope jpcover.f,

It 'is one; ofjthe. objectseof.thegpresent .invention to providean` improved plunger construction Whiclris simple and; reliable;inv; its i. action and@` whichhcan. bei. easily. installed or replaced, should .15

replaot-nnent benecessary.

In theepreferredeenbodiment, of the present t, invention eachplunger Aasseml-oly..` is encased `ina tubellwhichV includes a4 spring thatlmaintains. .the plunger pin-norma1lyv entirelywithin..the tube. The tubelis open at -bothends-so that the plunger pin-may be-pushedintothe tube'at one-"endn to -1 project the-oppositesendof the pin out of thestube thereby projecting it intoja corresponding hole fin the' panel. When the chest is v'made-'of wood, the plunger pin assembly canwbe ymounted -in place. bydrilling. a hole through the`proper [portion of the boxl or `chest forr'eceiv-in'gfthe plunger pin 'assembly-f This y holeffis preferably mada slightly undersizel and the .plunger p in assembly is then'foroedfinto position v in much ;the same manner as a nailis driven into a piepen! .Wood. A part. of the tubular. casing`.oftheplunger pin. assembly is ,.knurled.,or..othe11wise. roughened so Y that. the tube .is grippedbythewood once the-. tube .is driven into 4place. f

It is a further object `ofthe present -invention to provide :an-improvedmeans--for `holding 'the plunger pin'and springin the plungerrtube.

The attainment of the above and further Y'ob" jects'of the-present'invention will be apparent from the followingr specicaton taken ini conjunction withjthe accompanying ,drawing Af'orminea eert thereef.j 55

Referring; more 'p erteulerly to -the'drewinathen loo);v or chest;vindicated at fl is preferably rna d eo fv wood mythe like,l although it may ,-be vrmade of section 3 of uthe box, anda slidablefpanel 4 adapted@ Close en openilront .section 5 of .the cabinet. j The o pe n front section 5 comprisesv a 20;; drawer compartmentfand has a number of drawersf of difl `erent depths slidably mountedgtheref in invany Vdesired; manner as, for instance, as llllstlatelin 111y.=,r."etent: NO- 2,2.15;881 above referredgto. The f ront panel g4 is removable from thegchestend is slidable intofa horizontal position where it is located between the bottom l of the cabinet and the ,lowermost drawer, The

panel'mesfbfeositioned-verneemwith e bottom tongue!!! thereoffexterldnspinte e corresponding groove vin the: bottomgl of the chest tohold the 'lowereedseref fthe panel against forwardsliding.

The Ato,ligue extends across the full width-of the Panel? Whenfthe Panelis .thus positioned theA ten of the panel comesfimmediately underthe lowel' edge-off@ iront, strip .or AcrossjoarA lf2,v of woodor the-like, which' is a part of thejchestandponstituteslgthe frontjwall ofthe tray section 3.

The panelis adaptedtobelocked in positionl -V bytwoplunger assemblies i5, eacnof `a construc- ,tieni-.suele es fis illustrated more fully in vrieures 3 enel f l- 2 E eeh plunger.essembly'eomprises e cireulelplunserftubei6 ef. ,brass -or the like, having an inwardly spunperipheral .grooveA |51 adjacent the loweredgje thereof. A spring-1 8 and ,ai plungthe tube- Ipntilthe springrests upon -the in dented'ringfportion20 1of the groove movementf Thetopjof theplungerj I9 has a collarvZI .pressed-thereon, -which collar` may, if del1, thus retaininglrv-thej springs, against further downward plunger I9 is inserted into the tube until the top edge thereof is iiush with or slightly below the top edge 23 of the tube. At this time the bottom of the spring I8 rests on the ring 2 0, and the spring is under compression. Thereafter a peripherally extending groove 24, similar to the groove Il, is formed in the tube I6 above the collar 2I, thus forming an inwardly extending ring 25 on the inside of the tube. 'I'his acts as a limiting stop against which the collar 2I bears under the action of the spring I8. When the collar 2I bears against the lower edge of the ring 25 under the action of the spring I8, which is in compression, the top of the plunger is flush with the top 23 of the tube I6 and the tapered bottom of the plunger is substantially flush with the bottom edge of the tube I6. The tube I 6 is preferably of a length exactly equal to the height of the cross strip I2 of the chest.

The cross strip I2 has a plurality of longitudinally extending holes therein each of a diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the tube IB. A plunger assembly is pressed or driven into each of these holes by driving the tube I6 thereinto in much the same manner as a nail is driven in place. To facilitate holding the tube in place against accidental removal, a portion of the tube is initially formed roughened. This roughened portion is formed, in the present instance, by knurling the outer upper edge 26 of the tube I6. When the tube is driven home in the strip I2 the knurled portion 26 serves to lock the tube in place, since the knurling of the brass tube produces narrow outwardly projecting longitudinally extending teeth of very little depth but extending outwardly sufficiently to embed the tube in the wood.

A ferrule 30 is mounted in the panel 4 opposite each tube I6 in the cross member I2. This ferrule consists of a short brass tube of the same diameter as the tube I6 which is driven into a slightly undersized hole drilled in the panel 4. Approximately half of the periphery of the tube 30 is knurled or otherwise roughened, as indicated at 3I to lock the ferrule 30 in place in the wooden panel 4.

The cover 2 has a front strip 35 forming a part of the cover rim, which strip bears against the strip I2 when the cover is closed. The strip 35 has two pins 35 projecting from the lower surface thereof each in alignment with a plunger assembly I5. The pins 35 may be hammered into undersized holes in the cover in much the same manner as a nail is driven home.

When the cover 2 is open, the bottom portion of the plungers I9 of the plunger assemblies do not project below the bottom of the strip I2. The panel 4 may thus be positioned as illustrated in Figure 2 in front of the drawers. Thereafter, when the cover 2 is closed the dull tapered ends of the pins 36 force the lower ends of the plungers I9 into the ferrules 3U, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, to lock the panel against opening. The pins 36 force the plungers I9 downwardly an amount suicient to cause the lower ends of the pins to enter the ferrules 35, but an amount insufcient to bring the tops of the plungers I9 below the rings 25. The chest may be pro-vided with the usual clasp sets 38 for clasping the cover in its closed position. A lock 39 may be provided for locking the cover in its closed position. A handle 46 on the cover facilitates carrying the portable chest. When the chest is thus carried the plungers I9 are maintained in their panel locking position by the pins 36.

From the above description it is apparent that I have provided an improved plunger assembly which can readily and quickly be mounted in position in a chest for locking the chest panel upon closing of the top 2. The plunger assembly may be manufactured under factory conditions and precision, such as is applicable to metal working. The chest itself, when rnade of wood, is readily adapted for receiving the plunger assemblies, all that is necessary being to drill the holes for receiving the plunger assemblies and receiving the ferrules. If desired, these holes may be drilled in a single operation. For instance, the panel 4 may be moved to its closed position and then, in a single drilling operation the strip I2 may be drilled to receive a plunger assembly I5 and the drilling may be continued until the same drill enters into and forms a hole in the panel 4 for receiving the ferrule 30.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It is, however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction here shown, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a chest or the like of the type including a narrow strip against opposite edges of which closure members are movable to their closed position, a tube making a press t in an undersized hole in said strip and extending from one towards the other of said `opposite edges, a locking plunger in said tube, a plunger receiving opening in one closure member and in alignment with the tube in the closed position of said one closure member, and a plunger pin on the other closure member adapted to enter the tube in the closed position of said other closure member and push the plunger into the opening in the one closure member.

2. In a chest or the like of the type including a narrow strip and closure members movable to their closed positions against opposite edges of the strip, a plunger lock assembly including a tubular member open at both ends and making a press lit in an undersized hole in said strip and having at least a portion of its outer surface roughened to inhibit Withdrawal of the tubular member, a plunger slidable in said member and terminating flush with the exposed surface of the member, spring means within the tubular member for urging the plunger to its normal position within the tubular member, stop means for limiting the movement of the plunger under the action of the spring, and pin means on one of the closure members movable into one open end of the tubular member for projecting the plunger through the opposite end of the tubular member into the other closure member.

3. In a chest or the like of the type including a narrow strip and closure members movable to their closed positions against opposite edges of the strip, a plunger lock including a tubular member open at both ends and making a press fit in an under-sized hole in said strip and having at least a portion of its outer surface roughened to inhibit withdrawal of the tubular member, a plunger slidable in said member, spring means entirely within the tubular member for urging the plunger to its retracted position within the tubular member, stop means in the tube for limiting the movement of the plunger under the action of the spring, and pin means movable into one open end of the tubular member for projecting the plunger through the opposite end of the tubular member, said pin means being carried by one of said chest lclosure members, and a ferrule embedded in the second chest closure member and engaged by the projected end of the plunger.

4. A portable chest having an upper section opening upwardly, a cover for the section, a lower section opening forwardly, a panel closing the lower section, a front wall strip against the top of which the cover bears in its closed position and below the lower edge of which the top of the panel terminates in its closing position, a straight tube extending into the strip from the top edge toward the lower edge thereof and making a press t therein, a plunger slidable in the tube and movable below the lower edge of the front wall strip to lock the panel, spring means encased in the tube and urging the plunger upwardly, and pin means carried by the cover and movable into the tube for pushing the plunger downwardly upon closure of the cover.

5. A portable tool chest comprising a box-like structure having an open front and an open top, a front panel movable into a position to close the front of the chest, a metal tube in the chest immediately above the panel when the panel is in its closed position, a plunger in said tube, said panel having a plunger receiving opening into which the plunger is movable, spring means within the tube for retaining the plunger in the tube, a cover for the open top, pin means carried by the cover and movable into one end of the tube and bearing against the plunger for projecting the opposite end of the plunger into the panel against the action of the spring to secure the panel in place.

6. In a portable tool chest having an open front face, a movable closure for the front face, said chest having a front cross bar immediately above the closure, a, ferrule at the top of the closure and embedded in the closure, a tube embedded in the cross bar in alignment with the ferrule, aplunger in the tube and movable to project into the ferrule, the cross bar being of a width at least equal to the length of the plunger, spring means in the tube maintaining one end of the plunger retracted in the tube, means for holding the opposite end of the plunger against projecting above the cross bar, and means for moving the plunger against the action of the spring to project said one end of the plunger into the ferrule to hold the closure in its closed position.

HARRY L. LEVENSTEN. 

